One of the largest renewal projects in the country, the $2 billion Parramatta Square development, has taken a major step forward, with demolition works approved after years of costly delays. It aims transform the heart of Parramatta into ‘western Sydney’s Martin Place’ as a rival to the Sydney CBD.

Businesses that have a collaborative marketing and sales team are among the elite. They have a strong understanding of how to promote your business, get in front of the customer, and close the sale. However, marketing and sales are also notorious for maintaining silent rivalries driven by miscommunication, different goals, mistrust and more. So how do you build, or re-build, and nurture the relationship between marketing and sales? To do that, we address what's historically pulled the two apart, and what can be done to mend them back together again.

A wide range of companies have found success with PlantMiner's platform, from earthmoving suppliers to site amenities teams. Although the company sizes vary, the services are different, and jobs can be both long term or a few days, there's one defining driver of their success: engagement. We'd like to showcase MPC Earthmoving who joined PlantMiner in 2014, and has become one of the most lauded users of our platform, helping them secure over $600,000 worth in hire work.

Last week, the $25 million Ballarat Station Precinct upgrade commenced the second stage of the commercial procurement process. Four consortiums have been short-listed and invited to take part in the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase. This process will take 12 weeks to complete and will close on June 17 2016.

In one of our most recent posts, we delved into the Fatal 5 of construction injuries in Australia. In order to overcome or prevent fatal injuries on-site, certain precautionary measures have to be put in place to safeguard all workers’ safety on-site. Below are some recommendations to overcome the five most common fatal injuries on Australian construction sites.

In December 2015, the Department of Housing and Public Works Queensland released a discussion paper seeking feedback on the issue of security of payment in the building and construction industry. The paper seeks feedback from the widest possible cross section of the building and construction industry on the following identified issues:

Fleet management is vital for the safe operation of plant and equipment for hire. With routine inspections, maintenance, and scheduled repairs, fleet management helps ensure your machinery is in good working condition.

The first State Infrastructure Plant (SIP) in more than three years was released on Sunday 13 March 2016, outlining the new strategic direction for the planning, investment and delivery of infrastructure in Queensland. It was announced that $500 million will be invested to build the infrastructure needed to support and grow the economy. This new SIP is set to create more than 1,000 jobs for Queenslanders.

Need somewhere safe to store valuable items or keep your yard or site tidy? With its modular shape and weatherproof materials, shipping containers make excellent affordable solutions. But when it comes to actually purchasing, you'll soon realise there are many different options available including size, layout and condition – and that’s before you even look at custom container modifications. Here are our top tips to help you design and purchase shipping containers that are tailored to your job requirements.

Construction company York Civil has been awarded the contract to design and build the Charles Street bus bridge and busway, delivering significant travel time savings to thousands of Perth commuters. Announced yesterday, Transport Minister Dean Nalder said construction would soon begin in April at a cost of $32.1 million and will create about 50-60 new jobs.

Tenders are now open for the $38 million Bruce Highway—Tinana Interchange upgrade project, the latest upgrade under the $8.5b Bruce Highway Upgrade Programme. Here are the key take-aways you need to know about the project scope, timeframes and tender information.

A manager's role can be all encompassing. You get more responsibility! You get to manage teams! You get to shape and implement the goals of your company! But you may also find yourself constantly confronted with overseeing challenging people and situations - and no clue how to address them.

Gold Coast Light Rail Stage Two project is on track with CPB Contractors (formerly Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd) announced as the successful contractor to design and build the 7.3 kilometre extension in time for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The announcement was made by the Honourable Jackie Trad MP at today's CCF QLD State Conference.

The contract for the construction of the new Boundary Road interchange on the Bruce Highway at Narangba has been awarded to BMD Constructions. As said by Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester, BMD Constructions was chosen among four shortlisted companies after a competitive tender process. Expression of interest was announced back in September 2015 and was closed on October that same year. This $100.4 million project is jointly funded by the Australian Government – who funded $80.3 million – and the Queensland Government who contributed $20.1 million.

The Great Northern Highway’s Muchea to Wubin link is undergoing a major upgrade. A planning review for the project was completed in 2015 by Main Roads WA together with their industry partners, Jacobs and Arup. Construction works are set to start in 2016. This 4-year project will continuously open job opportunities for the industry starting with the construction of Miling Straight which is currently open for tender proposals until the 18th of March.

For any equipment hire company, your fleet is the lifeblood of your business. Keeping equipment at optimum working condition minimises the risk of having unscheduled downtime. If maintenance is needed, it's important to keep a comprehensive record - whether scheduled or unscheduled - to help you understand the importance of your equipment’s upkeep works.

Melbourne developer 3L Alliance this week received the go-ahead from Minister for Planning Richard Wynne to start construction on one of the largest projects ever launched in Melbourne’s CBD. Located at 350 Queen Street, the $750 million twin-tower project named Queens Place will form part of Melbourne’s CBD undergoing transformation through new development.

Member for Miranda Eleni Petinos MP together with Member for Heathcote Lee Evans MP today announced the major work contract to deliver the Alfords Point Road upgrade has been awarded to Nace Civil Engineering Pty Ltd.

Managing a construction site takes a lot of work and it could be overwhelming for someone who is fairly new to the industry. As a construction manager, you are responsible for managing a portfolio or projects, communicate effectively with operational teams, engage stakeholders, manage site managers, undertake quality management and assurance and most importantly, ensure the project is running on time and within budget.

On Friday 18 March, CCF Queensland is giving civil contractors from across the state the opportunity to engage with thought-leader speakers providing an outlook for the industry and present on how infrastructure is adapting to technological change, diversity and innovation.

The Palaszczuk Government today committed $200 million towards the first stage of upgrading the Ipswich Motorway, between Rocklea and Darra, to bust congestion, improve road freight and support 470 jobs during construction.

Construction sites are often a storm of equipment, materials and people. With moving equipment considered the second most common cause of injury and fatalities on-site, it's important to know what prevention strategies are being successfully used across the industry.

Today the first sod has been turned for major works on the $384.24 million Cooroy to Curra Section C project which will widen the Bruce Highway to four lanes between the Traveston interchange and the proposed Woondum interchange, south of Gympie.

The $75 million stage two retail development in North Lakes, kicked off yesterday and is set to bring long-term employment and economic growth for the area. The development will be completed by Primewest, who will transform the 11,350 square meter site into a high quality retail space.

It's never been more important to the growth of a construction business to employ at talent pool that includes people with top skills. To positively impact the bottom line as soon as possible, make sure that top talent is properly onboarded. It's no longer enough to get them in the door. You need to coach them in the company's way of operating to achieve optimal success.

The $2.4 billion Level Crossing Removal project, which aims to remove 50 congested and dangerous level crossings in Melbourne, will be fast-tracked over the Easter period. Three of the worst level crossings in the area - North Road in Ormond, McKinnon Road in McKinnon and Centre Road in Bentleigh - will be removed months ahead of schedule.

Ensuring the safety of yourself and your workers on site will help you avoid injury and project delays. As safety and the prevention of hazards is an important component of any project, a lot of research and money has gone into finding solutions to potential safety issues. Technology has emerged as a leading contributor to the effort of improving onsite safety.

There's a renewed push for Australia to act now on a high-speed rail system that will transport people from Melbourne to Brisbane faster than air travel - and the "stars are aligning" according to Torkel Patterson, vice-chairman of the International High Speed Rail Association. Speaking before the House of Representatives standing committee on infrastructure, transport and cities, Torkel confirmed "Australia's flirted with [a high speed rail] for a long time, I think this is the time to make a decsision." High speed rail networks already operate in countries like Japan, China, Russie, France, Spain, Poland and are currently under construction in the US - while the idea for Australia's own fast train has meandered for years.

Queensland builders are set to capitalise on the best conditions in six years, with a 26.9 per cent increase in building approvals in Queensland 2015. The figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, released in February, showed the fourth consecutive monthly rise in trend building approvals for Queensland - 2155 more houses were approved for building in December, up 13.4 per cent in November and the largest month since January 2010. NSW and Victoria trail behind with a 26.7 percent increase and an 11.9 per cent increase respectively. We've gathered a few industry opinions on the news.

The Victorian Government has called for Expressions of Interest to design and construct the new rail line to Mernda, extending the South Morang train line in Melbourne's north. The Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) will manage the development and delivery of the project. LXRA will be working closely with PTV, the City of Whittlesea, the local members of Parliament and the local community to deliver this project.

Australian construction company Built Pty Ltd has been awarded the contract to refurbish the historic Flinders Street Station. Described as "the heart of the city's train network", Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today to announce the delivery of the $100 million project.